Being from a family of hard workers and entrepreneurs, I am pretty well rounded in customer service. That being said, I know the customer is always right. Sometimes, though, the customer is so wrong that it hurts. People can be savage towards others, and it isn't right. Your employers expect you to smile, take what will come and go about your day. If you've ever worked in food service or retail, you know this isn't necessarily possible.
People will come at you with the wildest complaints and comments on your work ethic — all while you serve them. Expectations of instant gratification, failure to see servers as anything but that, and an all around social disconnect lead to people degrading and berating others over a cup of coffee or a $10 sweater. The worst part of all of this? We aren't supposed to stand up for ourselves.
I am done with self-entitled customers communicating their grievances through screaming and attempting to cost someone their job.
The first question that always comes to mind when being treated as if I'm not a person is, "Who raised you?" I wonder who taught these people that it's okay to treat people like they are sub-human. I wonder if they've ever worked a day in their life, or if they understand that servers are human beings too. I question further, while people stand idly by, the moral fabric of our society. If we as a community normalize the mistreatment of our fellow man, this cyclical abuse will never end. This confusion, I would assume comes from who raised me. My mother always told me that you treat the person that shines your shoes the same way you'd treat a CEO. Both of these people are contributing to society and making your day easier.
There is no reason to treat anyone as if they're below you.
Often the people you're being cruel to, those you're screaming at make next to nothing for dealing with your bad day. The server you refused to tip lives off of those tips, and at that point, you're directly hindering their life. It's not that difficult to treat the people making your food and ringing up your groceries like human beings. I can almost guarantee that if you calmly ask someone for help, they'd be happy to fix any mistake. Every single person in any given room you enter has their own life and their own problems along with it. You aren't more important than the person that got their coffee before you, nor the person serving it to you, and there is no reason to act as if that's the case.
When you treat service people poorly, just keep in mind that you become the butt of their jokes. You're the story at the dinner table, and sometimes (if you're extra ridiculous) you become a running joke. That's how you're presenting yourself to the world, as a joke. You are not bettering an employee, you aren't making anyone's errands easier; you're simply making yourself look foolish. Other customers will sometimes even apologize for your juvenile behavior.
Be nice to people!
It takes much less energy out of you to just treat people as your equal. Spreading kindness, rather than perpetuating the negativity that is all too prevalent today, may even make you feel better about yourself. The next time someone screws up your dinner, ask nicely for a solution then tip them anyways — maybe people will actually enjoy your company.
